


Different

by RocioWrites



Series: The Subtle Art of Pairing the Shadow King and the Devilish Twin #2 [11]
Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6179974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocioWrites/pseuds/RocioWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oh.” Kyouya says softly. The smile is half wicked, half amused. “Brunette suits you.”</p><p>Tamaki sucks in a breath, startled like he hadn't realized it. "It looks good on you!" The blond immediately amends, eyes wide and amazed. <em>Ridiculous</em>.</p><p>"Thanks." Hikaru mumbles back, suddenly very self-conscious, soft scarlet adorning his cheeks. "...I just wanted to look different." And it's a confession that sounds easy enough but it leaves a dry uncomfortable lump in his throat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different

**Author's Note:**

> Just a drabble to remind everyone (including me!) that I'm still profoundly in love with this 'verse and working for it. It may take me a long while to update but I haven't forgotten guys :D

Hikaru visualizes his brother’s huge bright smile and the offered thumbs up as a sign of good luck before even lifting his hand to knock on Tamaki’s door – he knows for a fact (because Kaoru gave him the info) that the Host King isn’t alone in his room right now, Kyouya is there as well and they should be talking about new cosplay ideas, the budget and boring stuff like that. Things that, to be honest, doesn’t matter to Hikaru all that much if not at all.

He sighs, long and deep and thinks of Mori to give himself strength. It’s weird how unnerved he feels, how much this worries him. And he’s not even sure _why_. It’s not as if Tamaki and Kyouya will get angry about it, or even hate him for wishing individuality now. At least, he doesn’t think so. In his mind, Kaoru is patting his back reassuringly.

For some awkward reason he feels the need to talk to them first before showing up at school with dyed hair. A part of him is waiting for acceptance beyond his brother’s good intentions. Besides, talking to the President and Vice-President of the Club seems only right. He wants them to know because this may change a few things, for starters the symmetry the twins always played on will diminish. There’s a chance girls will dislike the brotherly love act now and that’s enough reason for him to feel this silly obligation.

On the other hand, truth is the validation he can get from them feels awfully _good_. God forbid, as if they’re really his parents. And _that_ is something he won’t ever say out loud or even hint seriously – never, ever. However, he knows deep down he looks up at their senpais, all of them; yes, that includes Tamaki and his ridiculous attitude most of the time.

He takes a last deep breath and knocks, knees weak. “I'm coming in.” He announces himself as regal as he can, willing his voice to not waver, that irritates him a great deal, this isn't supposed to make him so nervous!

When he walks in, Tamaki is childishly crying over something while Kyouya is basically murdering him with a glare, both sitting on the white sofa and ignoring the tea prepared and served in the tiny coffee table.

“Hikaru!” Tamaki cries out in glee, running to him and grabbing him by the shoulders. “Good thing you're here!” He goes on, shaking Hikaru. “I know you'll be on my side, you like horses right? You like animals! You'll agree with me, right?”

And this is comfortable, Tamaki being silly and loud.

“Stop it, Milord!” Hikaru steps back swatting the blond's hands away. “I do like horses, so what about it?”

Kyouya, on the other hand, doesn't falter one bit and blinks unsurprised, walking towards him at a more sedated pace. “Oh.” He says softly but the other two hear it nonetheless. The smile is half wicked, half amused. “Brunette suits you.”

Tamaki sucks in a breath, startled like he hadn't realized it. Hikaru wants to be a bit offended but seriously, he has dyed his hair flamingo pink so brunette doesn't even come as a surprise. Hell, he has done so many senseless things that dying his hair a normal color isn't worthy of attention or something like that, he supposes.

"It looks good on you!" The blond immediately amends, eyes wide and amazed. _Ridiculous_.

"Thanks." Hikaru mumbles back, suddenly very self-conscious, soft scarlet adorning his cheeks. He feels Kyouya's smirk burning a hole in his head but he ignores it and braves it out. "Took you too long to notice!" He complains making Tamaki whimper and throw a hand in the air with his usual dramatic attitude. "...I just wanted to look different." And it's a confession that sounds easy enough but it leaves a dry uncomfortable lump in his throat.

"Did Kaoru...?" Tamaki starts and cuts himself off, out of the blue.

"No." It's the reply and he can swear Kyouya whispered a silent yet fervent _no_ too.

The blond blinks and says nothing, nodding. Smile tugging at his lips, Hikaru smirks right back at Kyouya, as if saying 'I know you don't want Kaoru dying his hair, don't look so smug'. Kyouya proceeds to ignores him.

"I like it." Tamaki says without missing a heartbeat, innocently sweet. Hikaru could probably melt from that tender tone alone.

"And what was that about horses?" He has to ask and the irritation sets in Kyouya's shoulder magnificently making him snicker and hey, good he remembered the topic.

Violet eyes light up like a bonfire, childlike joy evident in his face. "Horses!" He cries out in glee again and the manic death glare shot his way is enough to tell Hikaru that Kyouya isn't on board with whatever outrageous plan their King has thought of. "For the Host Club!"

Hikaru facepalms. Kyouya gives him a look as if saying they're going to make him age way too soon. Yes, Hikaru wants to counteract, that's for messing with my little brother. Even when he's pretty sure Kaoru messed with Kyouya first. Ah and _that's_ another thought he doesn't want to have never ever again, thank you very much.

“For the last time,” Kyouya intones, pinching the bridge of his nose. “we are _not_ bringing horses to Ouran.”

Tamaki whines and shoots him the saddest of looks before crouching against a corner, finger drawing stick men in the nonexistent dust on the floor.

“The puppy eyes are terrible.” Hikaru concedes, narrowing his eyes at Kyouya who doesn't relent.

“I don't care.” He replies, sighing tiredly. “We cannot for the dear of everything that's rational bring horses _into_ Ouran.” Hikaru snickers again, making Kyouya even more frustrated. Tamaki whines weakly and pitifully at this statement. “You would think he'd understand something that simple, what with him being the son of the Chairman but no, I was expecting too much of him.”

At this, Tamaki emits another distressed sound of protest, head thumping slowly against the wall and fingers playing with the bottom of his shirt.

“You're just being mean now.” Hikaru whispers, smiling softly and watching the blond with a mixture of fond exasperation and amusement.

Kyouya stops to look at him, really look at him. It makes him want to ask what he's seeing but before he can open his mouth Kyouya is already walking back to sit again on the sofa. Hikaru follows suit, out of not knowing what else to do.

“That sounded like something Haruhi would say.” Kyouya finally tells him, politely and strangely unperturbed.

“Of course not!” The other rises an eyebrow at him, hiding his curved smile behind a cup of surely cold tea. “Shut up.”

Tamaki has stopped paying them attention, weirdly daydreaming about something in his mind theater while he remains sitting in that corner of his room – it gives Hikaru and Kyouya some privacy to talk freely.

“Okay.”

“I mean it, shut up.” He says, fed up about the knowing look in Kyouya's gray eyes.

“I said nothing.”

“But you want to… and you're thinking about saying something!” He hisses.

How in the world his sweet, sweet little brother fell for this kind of asshole? Kyouya laughs. _Laughs!_ It's actually kind of endearing. It has him blinking and willing a blush away.

“Okay.” He repeats. “How are things going? The whole two separate rooms thing.”

Hikaru takes a deep breath and thinks it over. “Fine.” He answers, carefully but sincerely. “Better than expected, to be honest.”

“Good.”

“I'm taking the next step.” He says, all mindful of the hardships of separating. Even if this next step is simply dying his hair.

Kyouya nods, smile soft and sincere too. “If you need anything...” He starts.

And he guesses there it is, the thing that made Kaoru fall for Kyouya. Hikaru knows for a fact Kaoru sees beyond the cold and evil facade, beyond the walls Kyouya has built for himself. He thinks Kyouya has done pretty much the same for Kaoru, coaxing him out of the fortress they've been living in; understanding that behind the act they put on every day, they're their own persons.

Hell, Hikaru could fall for something like that.

Tamaki is mumbling still in his corner about Haruhi in a dress lovely riding a white gorgeous horse- or unicorn, who knows. Hikaru snorts and watches him for a moment while Kyouya finishes quickly his cold tea, porcelain clinking melodically.

“We're here.” He prompts when long seconds pass by without Hikaru replying.

“I know.” _Thank you_ , he wants to say, _I'm glad we have all of you_. There's a mute pause that lasts a few seconds. “I know what you're doing.” He says instead of allowing all these feels to flood him, aiming a smirk at Kyouya's uplifted eyebrow. “You're just being nice to me because you're dating my brother.” And it's a hushed joke, he swiftly checks if Tamaki has heard or is suspicious of his suddenly whispered words.

“Ah.” Kyouya all but imitates his reserved tone, smirking in full wicked mode. “I've been discovered way too early.” He brushes it off with a movement of his shoulders. “I guess the important part is that I'm honest with my treatment towards Kaoru, don't you think?”

Hikaru grumpily agrees, nodding his head.

“Whatever, we've talked about this.” _Sort of._ “Anyway, is dying my hair okay?” And he hates himself a bit for asking with something akin to dread running in his veins.

“Of course it's okay.” A heartbeat later, he adds: “As long as you keep bringing in customers.” And Kyouya gives him the most sickeningly sweet smile which is more dark menace than anything else. “I'm sure you can keep it up.”

“Uh...” It makes Hikaru squirm, swallowing around the fear stuck in his throat.

Forget all he thought about Kyouya being kind of okay for his little brother, this guy is pure demon blood and should not be trusted around breakable humans.

Tamaki's sudden laugh reaches both and it startles him, the blond has left his corner and is now leaning on the back of the couch in the space between Hikaru and Kyouya, arms supporting his weight while he remains eye-level with them who are sitting down.

“Things will work out just fine!” He assures.

Kyouya tones down his smile to match Tamaki's and it's _weird_. The way they act so easy around each other and the way Hikaru is so fucking happy about them being their friends.

Somewhere deep in his mind though, he wonders no without a bit of apprehension if Tamaki knows about Kyouya and Kaoru – what does he really feel about it? Is he really okay with it?

Is there any chances of Tamaki destroying this for them if he's against it? How much love does Kyouya feel for Tamaki and would he allow the Host King to ruin this for them?

“...Yeah.” Suddenly, he feels very woried and out of it. His voice comes out raspy and he _hates_ it. “Yeah.”

“There's nothing to worry about.” Tamaki continues, nodding at his own words and completely ignoring Hikaru's subtle discomfort.

He wants to believe that more than anything in the world. That it doesn't matter what life has in store for them, they're going to be just fine. Soemtimes it's hard to believe; however, he feels compelled to do so now that Tamaki's bright smile is on him and Kyouya – along with everyone else in the Host Club – has become such an important part of their lives.

“Yeah.” He lousily repeats a third time only to get Tamaki patting his shoulder and turning to keep talking about business with Kyouya as if nothing has been changed.

Hikaru wishes he had that confidence but luckily here he is, surrounded by friends who're happy to remind him things will be alright. And he wishes with all his might for this to be true.


End file.
